What Does the EPA do?

By Ryan Skidmore

December 28, 2016

A Traditional Kind of Whipping Post.

Amidst the negative press, it can be hard for the average citizen to see what the EPA actually does. Without suffocating pollution or toxic spills in immediate proximity to most of the US population, page 1 of googling “EPA” sums up the feelings of the collective US consciousness with a half page of EPA jargon mixed with ticker tape style facts that mean little to the uninitiated and then negativity about who is upset with the EPA at the moment. The sentiment ranges, generally, from necessary frenemy of Big Business, felt mostly by Big Business, to squasher of economic development, felt by some people associated with Big Business that lacks the kind of official position that restrains them fully expressing their position. Always, the verbiage is filled with ideological newspeak. After that part of the parade is done, comes the politician and their ilk. Quickly we discover the newspeak was just getting warmed up. Usually of a certain persuasion, these politicians discuss in more sweeping terms, and from a slightly different vantage point, the ground just covered by big business.

Our Mission:

In summary of what the EPA says, on their website, here is what they do. Firstly, manage risk to people and the environment as a whole.(About EPA) That means individual people on the ground. Power plants with big smokestacks pumping out something thick, black, and vaporous into the middle of a neighborhood would be the EPA’s kind of issue. As would also be a similar power plant polluting the air and/or water and killing fish, birds, and Bambies. (No people directly affected) They, also, make sure that laws are enforced and environment is considered when governmental decisions are being made. (EPA Mission) In all the places and corners of government and business, they are the voice of environment. Lastly, they create and provide information on the environment to anyone seeking it. (EPA What it Does) That would mostly be non-profits, scientists, other government agencies, and even other countries. They are the official source for environmental information in the US.

To accomplish this mission, we:

Congress makes laws and the EPA works out how specifically they function in the field. (About EPA) The application of laws is a tricky thing. The EPA is the acting agent that makes the big ideas of congress happen. Additionally, they set guidelines for States to follow. (About EPA) States can go above and beyond if they wish, but the EPA sets the tone. And, they study environmental issues to create data and make sense of it, then publishing through their website. (About EPA) There are many scientific voices around the world saying many things, but this is the mouthpiece of US in regards to environmental science. Scientists and analysts rely on work done by other scientists and analysts to further their own field of research.

The EPA is just one of many government agencies and the way government agencies work is not always clear to people with private sector job. With its large presence in the media and seeming impact on business, certain sectors anyway, it’s important to understand what the EPA is before making any significant judgments.

Go Green:

One of the big Campaigns the EPA is promoting is the reduction of emissions from vehicles. They want to promote businesses and people to really think about the environment and do everything possible in order to reduce pollution therefore going Green. How does this affect the Telematics industry? This Go Green campaign actually brings light to the telematics industry because it can affect vehicle’s emissions immediately. With a Fleet Management Solutions businesses can now immediately optimize their vehicles routes, driver’s behaviors, and maximize operations. By optimizing routes, vehicles will run less miles therefore reducing emissions significantly. By improving driver’s behavior, vehicles will run more efficient and less gas will be wasted inappropriately. Last maximizing operations means there will be less waste of vehicles driving time and gas consumption. In summary, a fleet management solution allows businesses to become Greener immediately and see tangible results beneficial not only to the environment but also to the businesses bottom line. A Win Win for all.

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